Life-raft.



No. 734,118. PATBNTED JULY '21, 1903'.

H. S. GARLEY.

LIFE RAFT.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 14. 1902. H0 MODEL. 2 SHEBTS SHEET 1- 7 Z q 79 7/0f PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

H. s. GARLEY. LIFE RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES I Patented July 21, 19 03. PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE s. oARLE-Y, OFHY'DEPARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CARLEY LIFEFLOAT COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF WESTVIRGINIA.

LIFE-RAFT.

$.PEOIFIGATION formingpart of a...

Application filed May 14, 1902.

T aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HORACE S. OARLEY, aresident of Hydepark, Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Life-Rafts, which invention is fullyset forth in thefollowing specification.

This invention relates to collapsible reversible life-boats of the typeshown in my Patent No. 627,979, of July 4, 1899, and comprises IOimprovements upon the patented structure which increase the strength,durability, and carrying capacity of the life-boat and provide otheradvantages, all of which will be best understood by reference to theaccompanying I 5 drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing the preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig.

. 2 is an enlarged detail inside View of part of the float and of thenetting suspended therefrom. Fig. 3 is an outside view of the same. Fig.4 is an outside view of parts of the float and net. Fig. 4 is an insideview of part of the bottom and net. Fig. 5 is a similar view lookingfrom the outside, showing a modified construction. Fig. 6 is a planviewof part of the bottom, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional View ofthe same.

A is a continuous annular float, preferably of oval shape, having aninner air-tube a, of

3o thin sheet metal, which may be divided interiorly into compartmentsby metallic disks (1, Fig. 2, secured therein at intervals and serv ingalso to add rigidity to the tube and pre-' vent it from collapsing. -bb, Fig. 2, are

5 strengthening-ribs, of metal or wood, extending along the top andbottom of the tube. These ribs are secured to the tube and inclosed bycovers, each extending the length of the tube and formed of sheet metalbent over the 40 rib at'its middle part c and soldered or otherwisesecured to the tube at its edges 0 0'. Tube a isinclosed in a thicklayer of compressed cork or cork composition, formed in two sections D Dof semicircular cross-section,

held at intervals by wire bindings d. About the cork I wind overlappingconvolutions of a covering composed of wire-cloth e on the inside andcanvas f on the outside, saturated with a waterproofing composition. Thefloat thus produced will be waterproof as well as versed.

Patent N 734,118, dated July 21,1903. $eria1I Io.-10'7,302. (NomodeL)air-tight. A coatingof waterproofing-paint may be applied over theexterior, if desired.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 I employ a single rib'g, extendingabout the periphery of tube a, composed of a number of wooden stripssecured together and fastened at intervals to the tube by metal bandsIt, soldered to the tube. In this construction the edges of the corksections abut against opposite sides of the rib, and eyes or rings 11for the various ropes may be secured by screws passing through the outercovering into the Wooden rib. 1

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, m represents flexible rings of rope orother suitable material extending around the float, the respective ringsbeing arranged at intervals along the continuous body of the float. Eachring on is preferably formed of a single piece of rope looped at bothends, the loop m at one end passing through'the loop m at the other endand then through a metallic ringn at the outside of the float, as mostclearly shown in Fig. 2. A continuous rope 0, extending longitudinallyabout the periphery of the float, passes through the rings 11. p p aredrawropes extending continuously along the top and bottom edges of thefloat and across the rope rings m, to which they are securely attachedby bindings q of cord or in any other suitable way. After ropes p p aresecured to the rings m they are drawn up tightly, thus'pulling the outerhalves of the rings m tightly against the periphery of thefloat, butleaving the inner halves m thereof (between the bindings g at top andbottom) slightly slack, so that the rings 1* can run freely on this partof the rings when the boat is re- Aswillbe understood, the several ropesabout the float constitute a practically 9o indestructible frameworksecurely and rigidly attached to the float by which the bottom and otherparts aresupported. Around the outside of the float are a series ofalter nating short loops t and long loopst, formed 5 by ropes lacedthrough the rings it. At the ends of the long loops, in whicha personmay stand upright at the side of the boat, are floats r, from whichextend life-lines 0:, with floats y at their outer ends. The several I00floats which serve to hold the lines near the surface of the water maybe painted bright colors, so as to be readily seen by persons in thewater in the vicinity of the boat.

Referring to the improved construction of bottom, (shown particularly inFigs. 4 to 7,) 2 represents a series of longitudinal slats, and 3represents transverse slats alternately located above and below thelongitudinal slats and secured thereto. At each end of the bottom I alsoprovide two other transverse slats 4 4, arranged opposite each other onthe top and bottom of slats 2. Above and below the outermost slat 2 ateach side of the bottom are bracing-slats 5 5, which terminate againstthe transverse slats 4 and are slightly bowed, so that they pass overand rest against the ends of transverse slats 3. Bolts or rivets 6, Fig.7, are passed through the two bracingslats 5, the slat 2, and the endsof transverse slats 3. The ends of slat 2 at each end of the bottom aresecured between two semicircular slats 7 7, the ends of which bearagainst the edges of the transverse slats 4.

10 is anet which depends from the float and supports the bottom. It isconnected at its upper edge to rings 1" by a rope 11 laced therethrough.A rope 12 is laced through the lower edge of the net and looped atintervals around the brace-slats 5 5 and the outermost slat 2, locatedbetween slats 5.

As an additional support to the bottom I provide ropes 13 13, Figs. 1,4, and 4, laced through the bottom and at their ends formed in loops 14about the float, or instead of being looped around the float the ends ofropes 13 may be fastened in rings 15, Fig. 5, larger rings 16 passingthrough the latter and around the float.

As will be readily understood, the boat herein described maybe stored ina collapsed condition on board of a ship or vessel, at a wharf or dock,or at any other place where it is likely to be needed. When thrownoverboard, no matter which side strikes the water the bottom will dropthrough and be suspended beneath the float.

What I claim is- 1. In a collapsible reversible life-raft, a

buoyant body of annular or similar continuous form, a bottom, a flexiblepart secured at one edge around the edge of the bottom, rings or eyeletsarranged at suitable intervals along the other edge of said flexiblepart, flexible rings around the buoyant body passing through the eyeletson the flexible part,- and draw-ropes extending longitudinally along thebuoyant body attached to the flexible rings and drawing the same tightlyagainst the outer surface of said body but leaving them loose at theinner surface thereof so that the eyelets or rings on the flexible partcan run freely on the flexible rings.

2. In a collapsible reversible life-raft, a buoyant body of annular orsimilar continuous form, a bottom, a flexible part secured at one edgearound the edge of the bottom, rings or eyelets arranged at suitableintervals along the other edge of said flexible part, flexible ringsaround the buoyant body passing through the eyelets on the flexiblepart, a rope extending longitudinally around the outer surface orperiphery of the buoyant body and connected to the flexible rings, anddraw-ropes extending longitudinally along the buoyant body attached tothe flexible rings and drawing the same tightly against the outersurface of said body but leaving them loose at the inner surface thereofso that the eyelets or rings on the flexible part can run freely on theflexible rings.

3. In a collapsible reversible life-raft, a buoyant body of annular orsimilar continuous form, a bottom, a flexible part secured at one edgearound the edge of the bottom, rings or eyelets arranged at suitableintervals along the other edge of said flexible part, flexible ringsaround the buoyant body passing through the eyelets on the flexiblepart, a rope extending longitudinally around the outer surface of thebuoyant body and passing through small rings or eyelets on the flexiblerings respectively, and draw-ropes extending longitudinally along thebuoyant body attached to the flexible rings and drawing the same tightlyagainst the outer surface of said body but leaving them loose at theinner surface thereof so that the eyelets or rings on the flexible partcan run freely on the flexible rings.

4. In a collapsible reversible life-raft, a buoyant body of annular orsimilar continuous form, a bottom, a flexible part secured at one edgearound the edge of the bottom, rings or eyelets arranged at suitableintervals along the other edge of said flexible part, flexible ringsaround the buoyant body passing through the eyelets on the flexible partsaid flexible rings being formed of rope-having a loop at one endpassing through a loop at its other end, a small ring on each of thefirstmentioned loops, a rope extending longitudinally around the outersurface of the buoyant body and passing through the small rings on theflexible rings, and draw-ropes extending longitudinally along the upperand lower sides of the buoyant body attached to the flexible rings anddrawing the same tightly against the outer surface of said body butleaving them loose at the inner surface thereof so that the eyelets orrings on the flexible part can run freely on the flexible rings.

5. In a life-raft of the kind described, a buoyant body of annular orsimilar continuous form comprising an inner tube, alongitudinally-extending strengthening-rib on said tube, buoyantmaterial about the tube, and a covering consisting of wire-cloth andcanvas impregnated with a waterproofing material.

6. In a collapsible reversible life-raft, a buoyant body of annular orsimilar continuous form, a rigid open-work bottom composed oflongitudinal slats with spaces between,

IIO

transverse slats above and below the longitu- In testimony whereof Ihave signed this dinal slats and secured thereto, andlon'gituspecification in the presence of two subscrib- 1o dinalbracing-slats at opposite edges of the ing witnesses.

bottom abutting at their ends against trans- 5 verse slats and passingover the ends of intermediate transverse slats, and a net or simi-Witnesses: lar flexible part by which the bottom is sus CHARLES LEWIs,pended from and below the buoyant body. GEORGE W. CHAPMAN.

HORACE S. OARLEY.

